The Varunidae are a family of thoracotrematan crabs. The delimitation of this family, part of the taxonomically confusing Grapsoidea, is undergoing revision. For a long time, they were placed at the rank of subfamily in the Grapsidae, but they appear to be closest to Macropthalmus and the Mictyridae, which are usually placed in the Ocypodoidea. It may thus be better to merge the latter superfamily with the Grapsoidea, retaining the latter name as it is older.

That notwithstanding, the revision of the Grapsoidea (in the narrow but apparently still paraphyletic sense) is also not fully completed, as many taxa remain to be restudied. Already, several former Grapsidae genera have been moved to the Varunidae, and others are tentatively placed here pending detailed study. Among the most noteworthy of these is the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. The genus Xenograpsus, formerly included in the Varunidae, is now placed in its own family, the Xenograpsidae.

The following genera are included:

1. Asthenognathinae Stimpson, 1858

2. Asthenognathus Stimpson, 1858

3. Globihexapus † Schweitzer & Feldmann, 2001

4. Cyclograpsinae H. Milne-Edwards, 1853

5. Austrohelice K. Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006

6. Chasmagnathus De Haan, 1833

7. Cyclograpsus H. Milne-Edwards, 1837

8. Helicana K. Sakai & Yatsuzuka, 1980

9. Helice De Haan, 1833

10. Helograpsus Campbell & Griffin, 1966

11. Metaplax H. Milne-Edwards, 1852

12. Miosesarma † Karasawa, 1989

13. Neohelice K. Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006

14. Paragrapsus H. Milne-Edwards, 1853

15. Parahelice K. Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006

16. Pseudohelice K. Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006

17. Gaeticinae Davie & N. K. Ng, 2007

18. Gaetice Gistel, 1848

19. Gopkittisak Naruse & P. F. Clark, 2009

20. Sestrostoma Davie & N. K. Ng, 2007

21. Thalassograpsinae Davie & N. K. Ng, 2007

22. Thalassograpsus Tweedie, 1950

23. Varuninae H. Milne-Edwards, 1853

24. Acmaeopleura Stimpson, 1858

25. Brachynotus De Haan, 1833

26. Cyrtograpsus Dana, 1851

27. Eriocheir De Haan, 1835

28. Grapsodius Holmes, 1900

29. Hemigrapsus Dana, 1851

30. Neoeriocheir T. Sakai, 1983

31. Noarograpsus N. K. Ng, Manuel & Ng, 2006

32. Orcovita Ng & Tomascik, 1994

33. Otognathon Ng & Stevcic, 1993

34. Parapyxidognathus Ward, 1941

35. Platyeriocheir N. K. Ng, J. Guo & Ng, 1999

36. Pseudogaetice Davie & N. K. Ng, 2007

37. Pseudograpsus H. Milne-Edwards, 1837

38. Ptychognathus Stimpson, 1858b

39. Pyxidognathus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879

40. Scutumara Ng & Nakasone, 1993

41. Tetragrapsus Rathbun, 1918

42. Utica White, 1847

43. Varuna Milne-Edwards, 1830

References

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